I Don't Want To Be Lonely
by Firmament
Summary: Something that started out sad and depressing has had a serious shippery fluff overhaul. Strap yoursevles in and be prepared for stupidity and ridiculousness. Includes: nudity, miracle virus cure, and the casual removal of Season 2. ML. Completed
1. I just want to be alone

**Disclaimer: **_Belong to Fox, Charles and Cameron. Not I._

**Author Note: **_This story started out as a bleak and depressing fic as I wasn't in the best of moods. After glancing it over, and considering some of my other works, I realised something. It needed a whole heap of shippery fluff attached to it in a crude and tasteless manner. So I have. Glance over this chap if you want. Kind of sets the mood, in the wrong direction mind. This story will include: A miracle cure, Nudity, and a discreet removal of Season 2, so discreet you'll hardly notice… Ha!_

_Tell me what you think._

****

****

**_I just want to be alone_**

Another fight over a near death incident had Max storming toward the door again in a fury of anger and great upset. She hated the way Logan seemingly so fragrantly disregarded his own safety around her, she hated the way Logan was just as easily dismissive of such occurrences with a flippant "Look, I'm still standing, nothing happened." But mainly she hated the way she felt ever since she had returned from Manticore and nearly killed him that night. Nothing felt normal anymore, not even Logan's place, which used to be her little fortress of solitude from the constant drain and repetitiveness of her old life. A life that now in retrospect was so perfectly hassle free and simple; when the burdens she carried would easily disappear as she stepped through the doors she was once again approaching, although only when approaching from the other side.

These days she felt so much removed from the rest of the world, which used to be a problem until she met Logan and shared her secret with him. About her life, constantly on the run, always looking over her shoulder. After his accident, she had found somewhere to run to, a place where looking over her shoulder wasn't required. It was completely safe and comfortable, and she no longer felt lonely in a world that was out to get her. That was then, and this is now. Now whenever Max is there, she is on eggshells and back to the dance that Logan and her had so successfully orchestrated for an entire year. Then there was a build of expectations, hope and sexual tension. Now there is a gap that grows each day, and in which their dance has turned to an artful dodging match that brings only angst, depression and loneliness with every interaction. 

She watched spellbound as her hand extended to the handle, bringing back all the pain and distress she had felt when that same hand had nearly brushed against Logan's only minutes ago. Max rested her fingers on the handle and didn't move as she heard Logan's hurried approach.

'Max, don't go,' he sounded angry, but she knew he was just as upset as her with the whole situation. No, he probably was angry with her, and he had the right to be she quickly reminded herself. She was the only one running away from this, Logan was just trying to get back to the way things had been.

How could he though? It wasn't up to him to decide if he was going to die by her hand, sure it was his life, and he could do what he wanted, but there was no way she was going to let him die, or worse, kill him. Not a chance in hell.

'Max,' Logan said again, more desperately as he tried to wedge her away from the door by gradually placing himself between it and her. 

This was the first time she had let him catch up with her. Usually she would have just shot off not giving him a chance to think about things, and then be out the door, and shortly afterwards on the Space Needle. Now, however, tired and strained to the bitter end she had had enough. She didn't want to get the feeling of unease that always seemed to arise when she was in his presence, or just thinking about him. Hell, she didn't like the feeling of unease that accompanied her around all day, at all times, now that she had more like her out there that she was responsible for.

Before there were only twelve of them, on the run from something simple and they all knew it. Things now weren't simple; there were freaks out there that had no idea of the harsh realities of post-pulse America and no idea what they were running from, or how to stay hidden.

And it was on her.

One hundred percent.

'Why do you always have to go Max?' Logan asked bitterly, moving as close as he dare to the girl who stood resolute in front of him. Max looked at him sadly, eyes imploring him to understand as she began to turn the handle and open the door, using it to gently push him out of the way. A less than pleased Logan allowed the tender power of Max to push him out of the way, resigning to defeat as he watched her slip away a little more each time they saw each other.

A strange concept, but he knew it was happening. The more they saw each other, the further they grew apart. Of course it wasn't either of their faults, not like last year. This time, they knew what they wanted, they wouldn't admit to it, but it was painfully obvious. Even from Max's arrival at his place after her brief three-month death. Their first action was almost Logan's last. A hurried and desperate kiss, full of longing and ultimate relief because they were where they should have been, with each other. Something both of them could do with at present, and something that they couldn't have.

Max held the door by a handle on either side, leaning her bowed head against the ridge. She let out a heavy sigh and her figure slumped more against the door.

'You know I have to go Logan,' her voice came quiet and drained, from behind a curtain of hair.

'So you want to be lonely?' Logan asked in an irrational and astringent manner, which both knew was due to all the stress they were enduring. He was merely venting anyway he could.

Max pulled back from the door to look at him, the deep scars of stress and overtiredness creasing her once genial face. A dark cloud of torment crossed Logan as he settled his gaze upon Max. He had never seen her so upset, so torn and tired, so pathetic and lost, so broken. Without thinking he reached out to stroke her face, such was the evocative nature of her discomposed and distraught features. Max saw his hand coming and was dieing for its tender and reassuring stroke, until she realised what it would mean. Her head nodded back only slightly, but it was enough to snap both of them from their dazed state, and Logan quickly dropped his arm.

Max looked at him again with her big round eyes that seemed to be glistening slightly, and spoke to him in a tone matching her broken features.

'I don't want to be lonely.' She let out another large sigh, and then shifted a little so she was now heading out the door.

'I just want to be alone.'


	2. I was wrong and Putt Putt Golf

**Disclaimer:** _Belong to Fox, Charles and Cameron. Not I._

**Author Note: **_I just realised how deeply pathetic and depressing this story was. So I added this completely useless and fluff filled chapter. This story will probably have another chapter after this, which will contain: A miracle cure, Nuddity, and most assuredly some pitiful attempt to sweep the rubbish that was Season 2 under the rug, to be forgotten always._

_Let me know what you think._

_**I was wrong and Putt-Putt Golf**_

Max sat atop her Space Needle, and curled tightly against the chill wind that blew, looked out upon the blinking lights of the city far below.

_Now, I'm alone. This sucks. I don't want to be alone, I want to be with Logan. I just don't want to kill him if I go near the poor guy._

Max sat there for quite a while, frustrated and fed up to a state of near tears. It really was a pain in the arse, to say the least, this damn virus. She had to go and apologise to Logan, tell him what was going on and how she felt about everything, after all that is where they had gone wrong last year. Maybe if she took a more affirmative approach things would work out for a change.

_Might as well try, everything else has ended up in a big fat zero._

Logan sat at his computer, drinking Scotch in a deluded sate of denial as he searched the Internet. Nothing much caught his attention, until about his third glass, when he got stuck on the world's greatest and most significantly important game of Putt-Putt golf ever. Hole seven was a tuff one, and he was just lining up his shot when there was a knock at the door.

'Come on in, it's open,' he yelled rather cheerily. Maybe it was the alcohol? No, he must just be in a really good mood all of a sudden, he never got drunk.

'Logan it's me. Where are you?' a familiar female voice called.

'In here, but I'm doing something very important so tread quietly,' he replied loudly.

Surprised with the request, she made her way silently into the study where Logan was seated, his face a few inches from the screen.

'Logan what are-'

'Shhh, I'm concentrating,' he interrupted. Several seconds later a sound came from his speakers, which sounded distinctly like someone playing golf, followed shortly by Logan's whoop of joy.

'Yes, hole in one!' he shouted jumping up and filling his now empty glass. He stopped mid-pour when he saw her standing there, as if she had appeared out of thin air.

'Asha, what are you doing here?' he asked, his tone equal to his befuddled look.

'In the area, need to lay low for a few hours. Cool if I hang here for a bit?' she asked nervously. Ever since Max had returned, Logan had been less fun to be around for her. Sure, he was happier, but he was also less receptive of their usually comfortable conversations.

'Sure, no problems, you can help me out. The next hole is even harder,' Logan said, turning back to his screen.

'Ah, okay. Are you alright Logan?' she asked, pulling up a chair and sitting next to him. He didn't speak for a while, as he was too deeply entrenched with the game of golf on screen, his concentration so intense that his tongue was sticking out the side of his mouth.

'Damn, missed,' he mumbled as Asha watched the little white ball bounce off various obstacles.

'I'm fine Asha. Why do you ask?' he replied, turning to look at her questioningly.

'Well, you're drunk for one, that seems to be a good enough reason for me to ask.'

Logan looked at her and blinked a few times.

'You're right, how rude of me. Asha, would you like a drink?' She stared at him for a few seconds, _a drink? He's never offered me a drink before. I don't think there is anything wrong with two friends getting drunk together, and he seems to be wallowing in something. Best support him._ Asha was a little unsure, but it didn't seem like too bad a way to pass the hours, and Logan did need some friendly support more now than ever, what with Max and that stupid virus.

'Ah, sure, thanks,' Asha replied.

Logan got up and fetched a glass, brought it back before filling it up and handing it to her. She took a sip, man this guy had taste. Sure it was strong, but it felt like velvet tickling down her throat until it landed in a warm pool in her empty stomach. 

_Oh dear._

One glass later, being of slight frame and empty stomach, Asha was giggling hysterically at the little white ball bouncing around the screen. 

'Logan this is the best thing ever, I can't believe we haven't done it before,' she said, in awed amazement.

'I know. I haven't done it for so long I forgot how much fun it was, not to mention wet and sticky,' Logan said, making reference to several of the spills that had occurred during their enthusiasm.

'You know. I think I love you Logan,' Asha said suddenly.

'I love Max,' Logan said proudly, as if they were kids comparing their mum's cooking.

'Yeah, I know, but I'm still here if you change your mind,' Asha replied, laughing the whole while. She watched as his cursor moved towards the "Close" button of the game.

'Don't you dare get out yet, this is way too fun, and besides we haven't even finished off,' she said amazed.

'I wasn't going to, I just wanted to see your reaction,' Logan replied through fits of laughter.

Asha watched as Logan lined up another shot, taking painfully long to make it again.

'Do it faster,' she said.

'Okay, I'll try,' Logan complied, taking less time than usual, and managing to sink the ball.

'Would you look at that, it works,' he said, sounding rather surprised but pleased nonetheless.

'I told you it would be better,' Asha giggled, it was muffled however, as her glass was up to her mouth again.

Max was pacing in front of Logan's door, upset, shocked and ready to kill. The first sound she was greeted with when she alighted from the lift was the giggling of a woman. Max was about to head in and see why there was a woman in Logan's apartment giggling profusely until that woman started speaking.

'Logan, this is the best thing ever, I can't believe we haven't done it before.' Clearly the voice of a slightly inebriated Asha. Max tried not to think about it, but then Logan spoke and her world came crashing down.

'I know. I haven't done it for so long I forgot how much fun it was, not to mention wet and sticky.' Max cringed every time he said the word "it", which in her mind only meant one thing. A stake was driven sharply through Max's heart at the light and playfulness in Logan's tone, something she hadn't really heard before. Sure, he was undoubtedly drunk, but he still sounded happy. When Asha proclaimed her love for him Max's heart split in two. Only to be quickly sewn back together again by Logan's words, and the proud voice he said them in.

_He loves me. I'm Max,_ she thought hopefully, but it still didn't explain why they were obviously having sex in his study. The conversation between the two went downhill after that, with Asha assuring Logan that she would be around for him if he changed his mind, then back to talking about the physically intimate moment they were sharing. Max was about to turn and walk away, when she remembered why she was there, she was facing her troubles with Logan now, not fleeing from them. She didn't, however, want to walk in on him and miss Pretty Blonde, doing thing's she'd only dreamed about with Logan, to Logan, in his study.

That was until the topic of faster and it being better that way, popped up.

The door burst wildly up in Max's rage.

'Get off him, his mine!' Max yelled, as she stormed into the study. Body, mind and eyes prepared for the shock she knew was about to come. And quite a shock it was when she found Logan and Asha sitting next to each other, with their heads turned around to look at who had made all the noise, in front of the computer screen, which had… Putt-Putt Golf? What the hell was going on?

'Fine, your turn then,' Logan said amiably, as he rolled back from the computer and gestured Max towards it, leaning over and grabbing his drink in the process. Max stood there motionless, staring between Logan, Asha and the golf game, which was sporting a far too cheerful tune.

'You want a drink, Max,' Logan asked after a small sip of his own. He looked happy, genuinely happy in her presences, something she hadn't seen for a long time.

_Why the hell not,_ she thought.

'Yeah, that'd be nice.'

'Coming right up,' Logan announced loudly, and then went to fetch another glass from the kitchen. A few minutes later he came back, loudly clinking the ice in her glass.

'Because you are so special, you get ice,' Logan said affectionately as he placed the glass down and filled it up.

'Hey I'm special, why don't I get ice,' Asha whined playfully. Logan looked at her very seriously, as though weighing up his words and the best way to say them.

'Max is better, she is more special,' he finally said, looking at Max smiling. She snorted loudly in shock and smiled back. Looks like all of Logan's diplomatic skills went out the window after a few drinks. Asha suddenly burst out laughing, for no apparent reason.

'Yeah, I suppose. My life insurance must be worth about fifty bucks, Max is worth, like, billions, or trillions or something huge like that,' Asha said, taking another sip of her drink. Max shook her head in amusement.

'Psst,' Logan said quite loudly, trying to catch Max's attention. She looked at him, and smiled, he looked like a real doofus. He beckoned her closer and she tentatively lent towards him.

'Don't do anything stupid Logan,' she warned seriously. His face took on a very mock severe expression.

'I won't, I promise. I just have to tell you something, it's a secret.' Max's smile got bigger; this was becoming quite stupid fun.

'Okay,' she said, somewhat patronisingly as she lent closer to him, turning her head so her ear was nearer his mouth.

'You're prettier too, but I didn't want to say that, because girls are really sensitive about how they look and stuff,' he announced quietly, although probably not as quietly as he would have liked. Max's lips broke apart revealing her teeth in the biggest smile she had had since being taken back to Manticore.

'Hey I heard that,' Asha said grumpily, 'but I know. She's way prettier.' Max smiled; Asha wasn't too bad.

'It's your go Max,' Logan said suddenly, pointing to the computer.

'Right, I need a chair,' she announced happily, looking around somewhere to place herself.

'Oh, fine. You can have mine,' Logan said, feigning annoyance. He got up and shoved his chair so it rolled over to Max, then left the room in search of something else to sit on.

'Now to this golf thingy,' Max said to Asha who had been momentarily entranced by the repetitive music and a spot on the wall. Asha smiled and laughed a bit.

'It's really fun, except Logan takes forever to make a shot,' she informed. Max nodded and made a shot. Hole in one, and it wasn't that enthralling an experience.

'Looks like you need to be pretty faded to play this game,' Max announced after sinking another two hole in ones without much joy. Asha looked at her and laughed.

'It helps.' Followed by another fit of the giggles. Max downed her glass in one gulp.

'Wow, that's pretty impressive,' Asha said, noticing Max's drinking ability.

'Nah, us X-5's with our high metabolisms are really hard to get drunk. In fact, I've never even been drunk before,' Max stated, looking at the ice in her glass.

'Well there's a first time for everything,' Asha replied happily, seemingly enjoying the prospect of a challenge as she brought the bottle of Scotch around to pour another glass for Max. Max looked at the bottle a little wary at first, _Ah what the hell? I'm at Logan's; nothing is going to happen here._

'Fill 'er up.' Max held out her glass.

'That' a girl,' Asha said happily, filling the glass up to the brim. She then put it back on the table and had a sip of her drink again.

'The man has taste in liquor.'

'Ya know,' Max replied enthusiastically, again sculling the glass in her hand. She lent over Asha and grabbed the bottle, filling her glass once more. She wasn't actually feeling any different as yet, but she had only had two glasses, so she needed more. Filling her glass again, she placed the considerably emptier bottle back on the table, and returned to the more common method of drinking Scotch, in sips instead of mouthfuls.

'So, how come you're here Asha?'

'I was in the Sector and I needed a place to lay low for a while, and Logan is the only one I know that lives here. He has a really nice place, doesn't he?' Asha explained, getting distracted and gazing around the apartment.

'Yeah, it's pretty cool, better than where I live,' Max replied, also glancing around the place that had been her second home for over a year.

'Logan's nice isn't he?' Asha asked, folding her arms on the desk and resting her chin on them.

'Yeah,' Max agreed, somewhat dreamily.

'Do I hear my ears burning?' Logan asked loftily, walking back into the room carrying a large part of his sofa, which he dropped rather nosily and flopped into.

'You don't hear your ears burning; you feel them. Doofus,' Max said, rolling her eyes with Asha in a conspiratorial manner.

Max took another delicate sip of her drink, before turning her attentions back to the Putt-Putt Golf, which was becoming more entertaining by the second.

'You haven't drunk much, Max,' Logan observed, looking around for the bottle of Scotch.

'Hey, this is my third one, thankyou very much,' Max said getting quite hoity-toity, before quickly downing the remainder of it to prove her point.

'We're getting Max drunk,' Asha announced happily with quite a deal of bounce.

'How come?' Logan asked curiously.

'Because she's never been drunk before, being an X-5 with a high metabolisilislsim, it's really hard for her to get drunked,' Asha continued in her singsong zesty manner.

'Well that's something we need to fix,' Logan said, getting right up there on his imaginary high-horse, 'I mean, this day and age and never been drunk. Why-why it's a travesty, a blinding outrage! To the liquor cabinet!'

The game of golf was quickly forgotten as the perilous three tracked through Logan's house in search of the bounty that was his overflowing cabinet of alcohol. For no apparent reason, Max started giggling.


	3. The piano man

**Disclaimer:** _Belong to Fox, Charles and Cameron. Not I._

**Author Note: **_Looks like, again, I have written more than I really wanted to. You see, this was supposed to be short; this was supposed to be the last chapter. But no, I just had to go on an inspirational spree of script. So, this chapter does not contain a miracle cure, or the removal of Season 2, but does have some near-nudity. You'll see what I mean. Oh, and the main reason I stoped where I did was because I couldn't think of names for the remaining garments that would fit into my trend. The trend you should discover, it isn't hard, and suggestion I would welcome greatly. Well from those of you who would like to see them removed. Another note, I got a bit stupid, and managed to hit a 15-word piece of what I like to call "pure-alliteration", see if you can pick it or just ignore it, for it is stupid. Shikes, what a long author note, I apol. Something else, the previous chapter has been polished slightly with some very minor things added_

_Let me know what you think._

**_The piano man_**

Logan walked through the apartment with Max and Asha following in a straight line, all with their glasses in hand.

'Logan, where the hell are you leading us? We've been walking for… ever and we still haven't got to your liquor stash and my feet are sore,' Asha complained, beginning to wish she had removed her shoes a while ago. In fact, she wanted them gone right now, so she sat on the floor and began yanking them off. Max and Logan shared a raised eyebrow, then sat down in the middle of the hallway and removed their footwear as well. Loud clunks were heard as the recently liberated apparel was thrown in various directions.

'That was a good idea Asha,' Logan said.

'Yeah, shoes suck,' Max agreed. Logan lent over Asha and whispered in Max's ear again.

'You've got nicer feet too.'

'Hey, I'm right here!' Asha exclaimed, clambering to her feet.

'Okay, let's find this elusive alcohol, I'm sure Max's X-5ness is getting the better of what meagre amount of intoxicants she has managed to consume so far,' Logan said, turning and leading the happy troop further through his apartment.

'Ah, Logan, I hate to damage your delicate male ego but your-'

'I remember that, when we were supposed to be going on a vacation, and instead I ended up killing people,' his voice started off cheery, but became dark and sullen towards the end.

'No you didn't, you saved my life. And I'm the super hero. Remember "Maximum Force- Girl- Woman"? It wasn't your fault; they came looking for trouble. They just chose someone too smart and too sexy to pick a fight with and payed the price.' _Smart and sexy, whoa, where the hell did that come from? _Max thought, a slightly baffled frown crossing her face.

'Yeah, "Maximum Girl",' Logan said, happy once more. Asha sighed loudly.

'What's wrong?' Logan asked.

'Well, I thought we had some stuff in common, seeing as Max was… away for so long. But you two have got tons of history. There go all my chances.' Logan turned around, quickly stopping their marching line, and placed a consoling hand on Asha's shoulder.

'Asha, you never really had a chance, not against Max.'

'But I thought, maybe-'

'No Asha, it's not you. No one has a chance against Max,' then in more of a hushed and secretive tone, 'Max is perfect, by the way. And I don't just mean 'cause she smart, nice and pretty, but also on a genetic level. So, there's even facts to back up my claim,' Logan explained reassuringly. Asha nodded her head sullenly and let out another big sigh. Max, not having missed one millisecond of Logan's explanation, was brimming with delight and anger. All she wanted to do was rush into his arms and cover him in thousands of kisses, which she couldn't.

'Damn bloody virus,' she cursed loudly. Logan and Asha looked at her surprised with her bitter outburst.

'Cheer up, Max. You're here now, and we're having fun,' Logan said, trying to brighten her mood.

'Some fun, I can't even touch you, or lick salt or whatever off you so I can then have lemon and some drink. I always wanted to do that,' she responded, equally despondent. Logan looked at her hard for a few seconds, and then she noticed his gaze shifting down to her legs.

'Tsk, tsk. Yep I thought so.'

'What?'

'Your pants,' Logan pointed out.

'What's wrong with them?' Max asked, looking her pants over in a panicked self-conscious manner.

'Well, they're cranky pants, aren't they?' he asked rhetorically. Both he and Asha then burst into more fits of laughter. Max tried to remain stern, but she couldn't. Cranky pants.

'Anyway, as I was saying before; I hate to damage your delicate male ego-'

'I remember that, you thought we were going to my Uncles cabin-'

'But, I don't think we're heading in the right direction to get to this liquor cabinet of yours,' Max finished, getting louder to override Logan's tirade, as he went on to explain how he said the cabin was being fumigated, and then how it was being rented out.

'Well der, I'm giving you girls the scenic tour,' Logan retorted, rolling his eyes.

'Then start touring, Mr Scenic,' Max replied. Logan turned around and they started walking again, with Asha in the middle and Max bringing up the rear.

'On your left, you will notice the guestroom, which each of you have frequented from time to time,' Logan said, in his best tour operator voice, gesturing towards the laundry.

'On your right, you will notice… another guest room.' Pointing to the actual guestroom this time.

'On our left, we have the master bedroom, which is mine,' Logan explained, motioning flamboyantly the whole time. The two girls stopped in the doorway, and looked in at the room with a sense of longing and eagerness. In unison they sighed heavily.

'I bet that bed's comfy,' Max stated to no one in particular.

'Yeah, and warm,' Asha responded, also to no one in particular. They glanced at each other, then the bed, then each other again.

'It's mine,' Max said, pushing Asha out of the way in a mad scramble for the prized furniture. She made it there easily and hopped on top grabbing the cover and swinging it around her shoulders, with Asha still picking herself up off the floor.

'What's going on? You're missing the tour,' Logan complained from a distance down the hall, only just noticing his audience were no longer with him when nobody laughed at his horrendously funny joke concerning lentils.

'Max pushed me over,' Asha wailed, still losing the battle with gravity as she swam around on the floor.

'Did not. You got in my way,' Max said, as she began to bounce slightly on Logan's bed, the cover firmly wrapped around her.

'Anyway, he's mine. Remember?' Max said somewhat threateningly, sticking her tongue out in the direction Asha's scuffling came from.

'Oh, so you own me, do you?' Logan asked, framed in the doorway, hands on hips, with a silly grin on his face.

'Yeah, but you can have me if you want,' Max replied sheepishly. Logan lost balance and keeled over.

'If I want? If I want!' Logan hollered in amazement from the floor, 'there's nothing more in the entire world that I want, well maybe that damn virus thing.' Max began bouncing again.

'Then it's settled.'

'Who do I get?' Asha asked, having given up on revisiting a state of erectness any time soon. Max and Logan looked at each other, then at Asha, and then each other again. All they could come up with was a shrug.

'God, socks are almost as bad as shoes,' Asha suddenly complained as she began to pull them off, the fact she had no one apparently forgotten. Max bounced a little more then sat down.

'Yeah, socks suck.'

'Yeah,' Logan agreed, as they removed their woollen feet warmers as well. He walked casually over to the side of the bed and sat on the edge.

'You've got nicer toes too.'

'Hey, I can still hear you,' Asha complained noisily from her spot on the floor.

'I like this bed cover thingy, Logan,' Max stated, as she stood up and began to bounce once more, smiling at Logan the whole time.

'Yeah, it's pretty warm. Lets get back underway with this tour, I've got a really funny lentil joke,' Logan said, clambering to his feet.

'I forgot how to stand up,' Asha said from her spot on the floor, as she flailed frantically in an attempt to rejoin the race of bipeds.

Being the consummate gentlemen that he is, Logan bent down to assist Asha in standing. Max kept a very sharp eye on where the drunken lass groped to hang on to the towering spire of male magnificence, which was hers.

Asha had an arm around Logan's neck as he straightened bringing her with him, while the other began a furtive slide down his back.

'I _will_ kill you, if you keep that up,' Max said with a deadly inflection, suddenly mere centimetres from Asha's ear.

'I'm up,' Asha said quickly, pushing Logan away in the process.

'Good, let's continue this tour. I didn't put on my tour guide accent for nothing,' Logan said cheerily, completely oblivious to the ferocity Max was protecting him with. So again they headed off down the hall, Logan in the front entertaining himself with another lentil joke, Asha in the middle bouncing around with an unknown enthusiasm, and Max brining up the rear finding everything less interesting by the second but mysteriously being followed by a regale adornment in the shape of a cloak, which was actually Logan's bed cover.

'Ah-ha, finally,' Logan announced with glee, as he rounded a corner.

'The cabinet of liquor, miladies.' Asha brimmed with the reference and dashed forward, Max gave her a dark look.

'I'm his lady, no one else,' she said scathingly. Asha turned and looked at her, smiling weakly, 'I know, it's still exciting to be called that.'

'Okay, so what do you want Max?' Logan asked loudly. She wasn't sure if he was ignoring the exchange she was having with Asha, or was in fact completely oblivious.

_ Oh well, doesn't really matter._

'Er, I don't know. What do you suggest?'

'We could have sex on the beach, but I think I'll just mix you a drink since it's raining,' Logan said innocently, however wickedly evil his grin was. Had Max been drinking anything at that moment it would have been sprayed far and wide around the room, and as it was, she still took a few minutes to catch her breath.

'Okay, I think I have an idea, but it will require some equipment-'

'Need me to steal anything?' Max enquired eagerly.

'No, we can just go into the kitchen, I have it all there,' Logan replied.

'Are you sure you don't want me to steal something?' Max asked, as Logan began to carefully load up her arms with various oddly shaped bottles.

'To the kitchen.'

Logan stood behind the counter with a vast array of bottles around him, Max and Asha on the other side watching on intently. He began mixing and pouring, and spinning and twirling, with what looked like expert ease.

'Damn it's hot in here. I hate sweaters,' Asha suddenly complained, dragging her jumper over her head. Max looked at her for a second perplexed, and then began taking her own jumper off after shedding Logan's bed covering.

'Yeah, sweaters suck.'

'Yeah,' agreed Logan, who momentarily stopped his liquid ministrations to remove his own pestilent pullover. He then lent over and whispered in Max's ear.

'You've got nicer arms and shoulders too.'

'I'm right here!' Asha screamed, Max giggled.

Eventually the drink was mixed, thoroughly blended and ready for distribution. Logan collected two cocktail glasses from his cupboard and filled them with the oddly neutral coloured liquid. He handed one to Asha, and received a mighty scowl from Max.

'Mmmm, this is so nice Logan,' Asha murmured appreciatorily.

'Thankyou, it's my own little concoction from way back,' Logan replied, taking the other cocktail glass and sipping from it.

'How did you come up-'

'Why don't I get one?' Max interrupted abruptly.

'You do, I was just getting to it.' Logan then preceded to hand the three-quarter full blender jug to her.

'Why does she get so much,' Asha complained noisily.

'We're fighting zillions of dollars of military genetics here. She needs as much as she can get,' Logan explained, winking at Max.

_He winks?_ she thought surprised, taking a tentative sip.

'This is nice,' Max said, Logan swelling greatly with the praise.

'I was hoping _you_ would like it.'

'Don't I count anymore?' Asha asked.

'No,' they replied in unison, which all found to be a real laugh. During a small convulsion of cachinnation, Asha knocked something heavy and metallic to the floor.

'Oops.'

'What have you done now,' Logan chided playfully, walking over to see what had fallen.

'It was an accident, I swear, but look how funny it landed,' Asha responded, pointing to the saucepan that lay on the floor in a truly amazing fashion.

'Hey, that is pretty funny. Max come and- Max!' Logan rushed over and grabbed the jug lowering it from the precariously steep angle it was in.

'Jesus, what are you doing?' Logan asked, looking at the jug that now had less than half it's previous contents in it.

'Drinking, it's really nice,' Max said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'You need to take it slowly. This is really strong stuff; I don't want you to die, I'm far too attached. This is going in the fridge till later.'

'Fine, whatever,' she replied flippantly but with an oddly pleasing warm sensation from Logan's concern, before going over and checking out the saucepan.

'That is really funny,' she said jollily.

'Yeah, but my poor floor,' Logan lamented lackadaisically, looking languorous like love long lost lucid lustral lineaments, leaving little left. Well, at least that's what Max thought.

'Come, let us depart from this dreary kitchen and misshapen pan of sauce,' Logan declared, heading out of the room with cocktail glass in hand. Asha followed behind, as Max headed over to the fridge in search of her drink, but after failing to grab the handle three attempts in a row, she decided that she would just get it later.

Max trotted to catch up with Logan and Asha, not being able to trust that woman alone with her Logan. She came around the corner swiftly and ran into Asha, causing her to knock her drink all over her top. Logan didn't notice and continued explaining the origins of a fine piece of artwork, which happened to be a poster.

'Sorry Asha, I didn't see you there,' Max giggled, damn she was giggling a lot, what the hell did that mean?

'Bah, doesn't matter, I hate shirts anyway,' Asha said, quickly removing her shirt and throwing it across the room.

'Yeah, shirts suck,' Max heartily agreed, hers going the way of Asha's. They both then turned and looked with raised eyebrows at Logan, whom had gone quite speechless.

'Yeah,' he finally agreed very enthusiastically, shedding his own sheath of skin suppression. Asha's breath caught and her jaw hung.

'He is _so_ mine,' was all Max could say, eyeing him appreciatively. Logan lent in and whispered in Max's ear.

'You've got a much, much, much nicer set of-'

'I'm right here, and we all know,' Asha interrupted hotly, crossing her arms over her chest.

'-abs,' Logan continued, smirking at Asha in the process. They all knew he was clearly going to say something else before Asha brought about her temporal intermission, however.

'Come on sexy-wexy shirtless tour-guide. Show us more,' Max swanned, nodding down the hall.

Smiling like the cat with far too many cream-covered canneries, Logan sauntered down the hall, with his two female companions in tow.

'Coming up here, is my fitness/recovery room, which sees little use these days thanks to my fully recuperated legs.' They walked casually into the room, observing the odds and ends like so many interested museum patrons. Asha tripped and fell, landing in Logan's wheelchair.

'This is kind of comfy,' she commented, trying to extract herself, but as with recovering from her nasty spill on the floor, it was going to take a lot of effort.

'I can't get up,' she said pathetically after a few minutes of struggle. Max rolled her eyes, and picked up a dumbbell – of course, as if it were nothing – studying it curiously. Logan by now had gone to rescue the hapless blonde floundering hopelessly in his prior mode of transportation.

'Come on, Asha,' Logan said, bending down and grabbing at her waist to hoist her out. The dumbbell bent in Max's hands as she watched those of Asha, slide across Logan's bare back. Sure, they were flapping frenetically and not really doing anything she would consider seductive, but that was hardly the point. Asha had touched his bare back before she had.

One mighty heave and a very loud rip later, Logan was standing, and Asha happened to be pressed chest to chest with him. The dumbbell snapped in twain.

'I think something tore,' Logan said, examining his wheelchair closely.

'Oh God, I hate slacks,' Asha suddenly proclaimed sounding slightly frustrated, relieving herself of her freshly torn pants.

Logan's head snapped around, and looked at Max expectantly. She smiled at him and bent down and started the incredibly arduous procedure of removing her jeans, second only to the hours she would spend getting them on in the first place.

'Yeah, slacks suck.'

'Yeah,' Logan agreed throatily.

'No more cranky pants.'

So there they stood in Logan's exercise room wearing naught but their flimsy underthings. Asha sporting a semi-frilly grey set, Max jet-black, simple as they come, and Logan in some navy silken boxers.

He stared at her openly for a few seconds, oh the joys of alcohols wondrous ability to lower inhibitions. He bent to whisper in Max's ear.

'You've got much nicer legs too.' Which was closely followed by a very pathetic whimper that sounded distinctly like "black…"

'Hey, God damn it!'

'What? She does,' Logan said honestly, turning to Asha. When he turned back to smile at – or "observe" – Max some more, she wasn't there.

'What the hell?' He quickly glanced around, and even looked under the exercise table, but still no Max. When he straightened and was just about to start going on the prowl he heard a snigger coming from above him. Above him? Sure enough when he looked up, there, clinging to one of the wooden bearers that supported his ceiling was Max.

'What are you doing up there? Wait, how did you even get up there?'

'I jumped, and I'm just… you know, hanging out.' The bout of laughter that followed this was enough to dislodge Max, and even through her inebriated haze and paroxysms of jocularity she managed to land delicately on her feet.

'I don't know why I haven't done that before. You should have seen your face,' Max said, wiping a tear from her eye.

'Okay, on with the tour,' Asha announced, having become bored trying to figure out how a towel worked. Logan lead them out of the exercise room, and deeper into the unknowns of his apartment.

'Here, on our left, is the music room.' Max and Asha looked at each other.

'Music room?'

'Sure, what, you think I spend all my time in here working?' Logan asked, walking over and placing himself behind a grand piano.

'How come I've never seen this room before?' Max asked, slowly moseying around and taking in all that was there.

'Because you've never been in it. Der,' he teased. Asha sat next to Logan on the piano chair and started to mash out a very crude rendition of "Chopstick". He quickly grabbed her by the wrists to cease the awful sound.

'No chopsticks in my apartment. Ever,' he said quite seriously.

'Fine, you play something,' Asha retorted.

Max had now made her way back to the piano, and didn't like the look of Asha so close to her near-naked Logan. As if sensing her distress, Logan quickly made a suggestion.

'You can get on top if you want Max. I've always wanted a beautiful lounge-singer styled decoration adorning my piano.' Max did just that, slinking on top of the piano, lying down and facing Logan. She lay on her stomach, resting on her elbows, with her legs crossed elegantly behind her bent at the knees.

'Hey, can you sing Logan,' Asha asked suddenly.

'Uh-what? Yeah, sure,' he replied dumbly. He hadn't broken eye contact with Max ever since she crawled atop his large musical instrument, but it was his damned peripheral vision that was doing him in. He was just glad he happened to be sitting down, and was under a set of ivories.

'So,' Max said in an incredibly sultry manner, which only inflamed his situation, 'sing us a song, you're the piano man.'


	4. Misodoctakleidist

**Disclaimer:** _Belong to Fox, Charles and Cameron. Not I._ Piano Man _ by Billy Joel (I do hope some picked that from the end of the last chapter), and _ Something Stupid _ by someone I don't know, but I'll disclaim myself from it anyway._

**Author Note: **_Okay, so here is another chapter that should have concluded the story, but really hasn't. Well, I could say it was finished here, but I'm sure many would be unhappy, and I am yet to officaly remove Season 2. Quite a bit more plain than the previous chapter, but I could pretend that I was trying to be clever and represent the many stages of a drunken night, this being the winding down stage. Really, however, I just fizzeled out. Although for those of you who want to believe it, just say that I'm representing the stages of drunkenness._

_Let me know what you think._

_**Misodoctakleidist**_

****

Logan smiled at Max's innocent request and began to play. His fingers flew fantastically, creating glorious oscillations throughout her body. When he began to whistle, Asha squealed with delight.

'Oh my God, I don't believe it.' It appeared she had just discovered what song Logan was to perform.

Max smiled with glee; her Logan was so talented. She didn't understand what was going on however, which would have been all right except for the fact that Asha knew what Logan was playing. So in an attempt to understand more of this melodious production and observe the speed and skill of his wonderful fingers, Max leant forward on her elbows, as if being closer to him would suddenly fill her with the information Asha carried.

Twelve wrong notes and a loud cacophony of mashed keys later, Logan stopped and looked at Max.

'Max, as much as I love you there, and trust me, I do. I can't concentrate properly.' Max's big brown eyes shined nothing but pure innocence back at him, as she nervously sucked her bottom lip in.

'Oh God,' Logan groaned pleadingly, 'please don't do that.'

'Damn,' Asha suddenly voiced quietly and in astonishment. Max, becoming increasingly confused with the situation, looked at her questioningly.

'I mean, damn. Now I see what Logan is going on about. You could turn me Max. Seriously,' Asha admitted, staring straight at her in awed amazement.

'What?' both Logan and Max responded disbelievingly. Max's tone was something close to abhorrence; whereas Logan's was closer to that of a child who discovered Christmas was going to be run all year around from now on. Images flashed through his over-lubricated mind, and the fact that two attractive women were sitting in his house in their underwear, didn't help matters.

'Hey, back to the music,' Max said finally. Logan looked up at her and noticed she had slipped back to her previous position, making conscious thought less of an impossibility than when she had been leaning forward, and things had become… emphasized by squeezing.

'Okay.' He began again, playing the same tune as last time, and whistling along as well.

_"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday-"_

'It's Thursday,' Max interjected.

_"-regular crowd shuffles in. There's an old man sitting next to me-"_

'Oh, thanks a lot,' Asha spouted.

_"-making love to his tonic and gin. He says, 'son can you play me a memory. I'm not really sure how it goes. But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger mans clothes.'"_

Logan rocked back and forth with his enthusiastic performance, getting right into the swing of things and holding nothing back. Asha and Max just stared at him; some drool fell as they realised the full merits this man of many talents contained.

_"Sing us a song, you're the piano man. Sing us a song tonight. We're all in the mood for a melody. And you've got us feeling alright."_

'Damn straight I'm in the mood,' Max laughed, she finally understood the choice of song. Again, there was a loud crash of poorly mixed keys as Logan came to a shuddering halt.

'In the mood? Come on, Max. I'm never going to finish this song if you keep all that up.'

'What, I am in the mood,' she replied innocently.

'Are you intent on torturing me?' Logan pleaded pathetically, as his hands shook over the keys.

'I'm in the mood for a melody. What the hell is wrong with that?' Max retorted playfully.

'Look, when the worlds most attractive woman is perched atop my piano, clad in nothing but her underwear, and she says, "I'm in the mood", what do you expect me to think?' Logan replied desperately.

'Why, what ever do you mean, Logan,' Max responded, producing her most spectacular pout, whilst leaning forward once more. He would have stormed from that room in protest in an instant, had he been able to stand.

'You'll be the death of me, Max,' Logan muttered, staring intently at the keys and trying to regain some form of focus.

'That's not funny, Logan,' Max replied, suddenly downcast. He looked at her and noticed the cheerfulness had gone, and it was back to the sad and frustrated Max of before.

'I didn't mean it like that. I-I meant you're going to give me a heart attack,' he responded desperately, he didn't want Max to be upset.

She burst into tears, causing quite a shock for both Logan and Asha.

'It-it's not fair. I hate this damn virus and Manticore. I just want to be able to touch you. I love you so much,' Max sobbed uncontrollably, and then clamped her hand over her mouth as if she had said a terribly dirty word.

Logan blinked several times in bewilderment. Max's eyes reflected nothing but sheer panic and fear at her recent revelation.

'Max, don't cry. We'll beat this virus, don't worry,' Logan cooed reassuringly. Max calmed a little, but still couldn't believe what she had admitted, and in front of a witness. She nodded minutely and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

'Looks like someone is an emotional drunk,' Logan said with a warm smile. Max smiled back meekly.

'Come on, more music,' Asha insisted.

'Fine,' Logan conceded, as he once again took to the piano, this time faring a different tune. To his and Max's great surprise, Asha began to sing along with him. Even more of a surprise was that she fell into perfect key.

Max was enjoying the show, until she started to listen to the words between the two.

_"…and then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid like-" _Max was just about to reach over and smack Asha into a coma, when Logan's eyes bore into hers. The gaze was so intense that it pinned her solid and she could swear she felt something within her stirring. 

_"-I love you."_ Logan sung, but with such vehemence and intense passion that Max shuddered. And just like that, it was over, and he and Asha were back to the next verse of the song, with Max still quivering like the pile of jelly she had been reduced to.

She awaited eagerly the next chorus, which by her reckoning was due any second now. Sure enough it had started, and Max was prepared to have her soul so delightfully skewered as it was last time. He was three words off, and she began to tingle and shake with anticipation. One word off, and there was a sudden pleasant chirping in the air.

Logan stopped dead in his track; Asha didn't and managed to proclaim her love to him for at least the third time that night. He jumped up, ran to a small cabinet, flung the doors open and grabbed some sheets of music.

'Here, there is something I must do,' Logan said very excitedly, handing Max the sheaf of papers.

'What? Logan, I don't know how to play a piano,' Max pleaded, she really just didn't want him to leave.

'Okay, quick crash course. This key here, is middle-C,' he hit a key on the piano. 'Now, this is middle-C Treble-Clef written down,' he pointed to a musical note on a score, 'and this is middle-C Bass-Clef.' He pointed to another note.

'The rest, I'm sure you can figure out,' he said hurriedly, but clearly brimming with excitement before dashing from the room.

'Well, how do you like that?' Max asked, swinging around and sliding off the piano to sit next to Asha.

As soon as Logan had left the room, Asha saw her opportunity, and began to play "Chopsticks" again.

'No chopsticks!' came his yell from somewhere in the apartment. Max laughed, and Asha stopped. Max began leafing through the musical pages she had been handed, and glanced occasionally at the piano. Finally she sat them down on the stand and put finger to ivory. After a few practices, she was playing quite happily.

'I didn't know you could play the piano,' Asha admitted.

'I can't, this is my first time,' Max replied, face scrunched as she concentrated on the music and keys in front of her.

'Ah, Logan's better. I'm no good at this,' Max said after a while.

'Logan, come back and play. I'm no good,' Max yelled at the doorway, figuring wherever he was in the apartment he would hear her.

'You've only just started, Max. Practice makes perfect.'

'I hate practice, I just want you to play,' she yelled back.

'I'm busy; there is some pre-made music in there. Just listen to that then,' Logan replied, laughing slightly. Asha was up and started toward what looked like a music making machine of sorts. Several seconds later and introduced with a soft click, music began to fill the air. It was strangely familiar to Max, as she sat and stared at the speakers and listened to the gentle tinkling of piano keys.

'I know this,' Max suddenly voiced in excitement.

'What?' Asha queried.

'This is the music Logan always has on when we have dinner together.'

'Oh,' Asha replied downcast. The closest thing she had to music when Logan and her engaged in a meal together was something obnoxious and noisy in a dimly lit nondescript bar.

'I bet you had candles and everything,' asked Asha unintentionally.

'Yeah,' Max responded moonily.

Asha walked over to a couch that would be quite out of place in any other room of Logan's place, owning to it's spattering of oversized cushions and vibrant, undemanding feel. Max thought it looked pretty damn comfy herself, so she wandered over and plopped down on an end, throwing some pillows out of the way in the process.

Logan sat in front of his computer like the proverbial child in a candy store. A few masterful keystrokes later and he had what he wanted, and was sharply making his way to the kitchen.

Opening the fridge he spotted Max's partially full drink and so collected it and headed toward the music room once more. On his way, he threw what he held in his hand into the mix, and began the whistle like the jolly fool he felt.

As he approached the door, he distinctly heard the girlish squeals of delight, and became weak of knee in anticipation. Asha was giggling profusely, but her breath was quite ragged. Max's giggling was a little more contained, but only because it appeared to be muffled.

'You haven't seen anything yet,' Max said quite wickedly. Asha's reply was another shrill of laughter, some thumping, and some additional heavy breathing. The jug Logan held began to shake, so he put it down on the closest horizontal surface before taking another step toward the room.

He stepped into the doorway, and observed what it was that Asha and Max were getting up to. Before they noticed; he was heading back down the hall at serious trot, tears of joy streaming down his face.

'Sketchy would give his hat and ass to see this,' Max said, laughing at the thought.

_CLICK_

'What was that?' Asha asked.

'Bah, I don't know,' Max shrugged.

_CLICK_

'No, there is definitely a clicking noise,' Asha repeated.

'So what? This is pretty fun, I should have done this a while ago with Cindy or something,' Max replied, getting back to the task at hand.

_CLICK_

'It's Logan. He has a camera,' Asha said casually. Max stopped suddenly and looked up at Logan.

'Hey, what are you doing?'

'Taking photos, thought that was obvious,' Logan replied cheekily, followed by another click. Max threw her weapon of choice – a large red fluffy pillow – back on the couch, and then walked over to Logan.

'Play the piano again,' she said sweetly. He smiled a big smile, then headed back to the piano, shortly followed by Asha who took a seat next to him while Max climbed back on top again.

'Oh, before I start, I have a surprise for you,' Logan addressed Max mysteriously.

'What?'

'Out in the hall, on the first bench,' Logan said, pointing at the door with his thumb.

'Okay, cool, I love surprises. But don't start until I get back,' Max replied bouncily, slipping off the piano once more before gracefully exiting the room. In her absence Logan went and placed the camera in one of the many various cabinets around the room.

Max returned shortly after Logan had found his place at the piano once more, jug of cocktail in hand.

'Thanks Logan, I really like this stuff,' Max said, with somewhat of a neutral coloured cocktail moustache.

'Good,' he laughed, as he began to play some more none sequential light jazz.

Five minutes later, Max had downed the remainder of her drink, and was slowly moving into the droopy phase of her intoxication. The stage where all body parts seem to be too heavy and so flop around an awful lot. Along with the heavy body parts comes the disillusioned state of detachedness, and more walls of emotion are broken through.

'Logan, you took photos of me and Asha having a pillow fight in our sexy lingerie,' Max said, slurring occasionally.

'Yeah, I suppose I did. Definite keeper or two in that batch, I'm sure.'

'You should send some to Sketchy, he would die to see that.' Now Max was sure there was some reason this wasn't a good idea, but for the life of her she couldn't get past pink socks. Strange.

'Okay, I'll do that just now.' Logan rose from the piano, collected the camera and headed out of the room. Several minutes later he returned, and so did the lazy, calming melody.

Asha had started to nod, and eventually Logan found her slumped against his shoulder, quite asleep. He smiled, Asha was a nice girl and a pretty good friend, and it was pleasing to see her unwind from S1W duties once and a while.

Max burst into tears again. It appeared the emotion was still around.

'You want her, don't you?' Max cried, pointing at Asha.

'No I don't.'

'But look at you. You're smiling because she is asleep on your shoulder.' More tears fell.

'No… well, yes. But only because I was just thinking about Asha as a friend, not because I want to be with her.'

'It's not fair,' Max sobbed again, wiping furiously at her face.

'I know, Max. But maybe tomorrow, we'll find something to cure this virus. Then you can fall asleep on my shoulder.'

'I'd like that,' Max sniffed, seeming to have recovered from her state of duress.

'I'm going to take her to bed,' Logan said, standing up and scooping Asha into his arms. Max completely lost it and wailed like the world was about to end, and the by way it sounded, it may have just been doing that.

'What?' Logan asked slightly panicked.

'You're taking her to bed. I knew it. You want her.'

'Oh Jesus, get a grip Max. I want you, I don't want Asha. I am going to place her in the guest bed, and then come right back here,' Logan said, becoming a little tired with all this emotion. He'd learnt his lesson, however. Only so much alcohol for Max.

'Okay,' Max said sullenly, trying to wipe away the tears and excess mucus without much success.

Logan walked from the room with Asha instinctively curling closer to the mass of warmth that supported her. Several minutes later, he returned with a washcloth and some tissues.

'Here you go, Max.' He gave her the tissues, waited for her to blow her nose, and then gave her the cloth.

'Oh thanks, you warmed it up and everything,' Max said, as she held the warm washer to the side of her face. Logan had by now returned to his place behind the keys, and began to play once more.

After several stumbles of the keys, he realised that he really needed some sleep.

'Are you tired, Max,' Logan asked with a yawn.

'I don't get tired much.'

'Oh, okay. 'Cause you could have used my bed, but if you aren't going to sleep, I think I'll use it instead.' Max looked suddenly disappointed, but not so much to the state of tears.

'I wish I could sleep with you,' she said sullenly.

'Yeah, that'd be nice,' Logan replied warmly, suddenly lost in another world of the pleasantries that would come from sharing body heat with Max.

'Are you going to be alright? I mean, is there something you want to do?' Logan asked, standing from his seat and stretching a little.

'I think I'll go and play golf again,' Max responded, slipping off the piano again. Logan laughed a little, not expecting that answer.

'Well, goodnight Max,' Logan said, as he on instinct leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

'Night, Logan,' Max replied with a small sigh.

They each walked their separate ways, Logan to his bedroom, and Max back to the study, completely oblivious.

****

****

****

****


	5. And the fog lifts

**Disclaimer:** _Belong to Fox, Charles and Cameron. Not I._

**Author Note: **_Finally, it is done. Never again will I say to myself "I'll just add another little chapter to make it more fun." Oh no, 4 chapters later it is finally completed. This one needs a bit more of a rating than the others, due to some naughty behaviour from our two. Things are only implied, however, so we don't get graphic or anything. Season 2 (and all affiliated traits) takes a fairly warm beating in this chapter as well._

_Curious about last chapters title? No? Well I'll tell you anyway. Misodoctakleidist = Person who hates practising the piano._

_Let me know what you think._

  
  


  
  


_**And the fog lifts**_

  
  


Logan awoke early the next morning, to the grand and beautiful surprise of not having an inkling of a hangover. His tongue, however, felt as if it had been replaced with a sandbag at some stage during the night, so he was quite desperate for a drink of water or perhaps a coffee.

He strolled quietly down the hall in his boxers, only noticing after he had left his room that was all he was wearing and so not bothering to go back and get any more clothes on. Passing the guest room he glanced in and noticed Asha still completely dead to the world, the sheets wrapped strangely around her trunk, as she lay across the bed sideways.

He shuffled further down the hall until he got the computer room, which he looked in on and noticed to be completely empty. A large sigh escaped his lips, he wasn't sure why he was expecting Max to still be there, she barely ever hung around the next morning if she stayed at his place last year, and this year… well, she barely hung around there at night.

Opening the fridge he grabbed some milk and juice, then decided that he wanted coffee. A few minutes later – in which time Logan had stared at the percolating coffee machine – a small chime indicated that things were up to temperature and matured correctly to begin consumption. He really needed to understand what all the lights, bells and whistles actually meant one day.

Grabbing the pot, he was about to pour himself a nice steaming hot cup of joe, when he discovered something was missing. The cup. He sighed heavily again, clearly depressed with Max's departure, they had had such fun last night, he thought.

Making his way to where the mugs were kept, something caught his foot down he went. Slightly dazed and a little sore from the places his skin had slapped against the floor, Logan looked around to see what had attacked his foot and brought about the sudden conference with the hardwood. He discovered his bed covering that Max had claimed last night was still lying on the ground. Funny thing about the bed covering was that it felt decidedly more solid than he remembered.

Max! She was curled up on the floor of his kitchen with the large padded spread wrapped around her. She seemed that have some of it clutched to her nose, as if to inhale the smell. There was also a mightily impressive grin on her face, which caused Logan to melt, and forget completely about his coffee.

As he looked at her, about a thousand images from the night before flashed through his mind. Max arriving, Max playing golf, Max taking off her socks on his bed, Max taking off her shirt, Max taking off her pants, Max and Asha having a pillow fight, him taking pictures of said fight and eventually sending them to Sketchy. _Oh, crap_. He was going to pay for that one, for sure.

He didn't have time to dwell, for more images continued to assault his mind's eye. Playing the piano and then running off to do something with the computer, an overwhelming sense of joy, putting something in Max's drink, kissing her on the forehead… Kissing her on the forehead! Logan quickly patted himself over, just to make sure he was alive and all was well. And it most surely was.

Suddenly – and for no reason – Logan was overcome with tiredness, and made a futile effort to stifle a huge yawn. Nothing but grin was on his face as he looked at the angel in front of him again, and realised that she was now, and once again, within reach.

Slowly, cautiously, he slipped onto the cover, cocooning her with his body as he wrapped his arms around her. The sensation was incredible, and he unwarily let out a very contented sigh as he felt every single millimetre of Max's skin that was pressing against his own. A few seconds after getting settled, he heard Max murmur in appreciation, and snuggle closer to his arm that was now supporting her head.

  
  


Asha woke up several hours later, hating the world and everything it contained, especially those that made noise or gave off any form of light. She was just about to roll over and die blissfully when she heard gentle sobs echo off the walls of wherever the hell she was.

Slowly, and very gingerly she rose to her feet, wrapping the sheet around her a bit more before facing the cursors of the world outside the magnificently dark room she was in.

Much to her great pleasure – even though there wasn't much pleasure the way she was feeling – the Seattle sky was covered in an unusually thick and dark blanket of clouds, so the apartment, which she now recognised as Logan's, was coated in a soft dullness.

Asha walked toward the sobs and found herself being lead in the direction of the kitchen. When she got there, she saw on the floor Max and Logan curled up together with Max quietly crying in his arms.

'Max, what's wrong?' Asha eventually asked, after checking that Logan was nowhere near dead, just very asleep, and then walking over to face Max.

'I got so messed up last night that I ended up having sex with a complete stranger again. I can't believe I keep doing this to Logan.' Asha promptly fell over with this information.

After recovering, which took many, many deep breaths; Asha knelt next to Max and folded the sheet around herself a little more.

'Are you sure you did… that, with someone last night?'

'What, are you blind, can't you see the great lump's arms around me?' Max asked incredulously, recoiling from the arms that tightened slightly as she moved.

Asha quickly suppressed a smile.

'Why don't you just get up. Surely you can break free from any mere humans clutches?'

'If I could, then I would, which makes this situation a whole lot worse. He must be an X… oh god, it's not Alec is it?' Max asked, panicking slightly.

'Who's Alec?' Asha asked, slightly confused.

'Alec? You know who Alec is. Pain in the ass, always screwing things up?'

'Are you sure I've meet him?'

'What? Yes, you nearly had sex with him!' Max shouted, becoming very frustrated with this.

'Well, you must be thinking of someone else. 'Cause I don't know any Alec's,' Asha replied.

'Look don't play games… I don't even want to be talking about him, it's making me sick to know that I did… it… with him,' Max said, very downcast.

'Okay, Max, I'm going to help you out a little here. I don't think you had sex with this "Alec" last night.'

'What do you mean? I'm wearing practically nothing and so is he,' she nodded back in the direction of Logan briefly, 'and he is wrapped all around me. What exactly would you call that then, Asha?' Max accused pointedly.

'Well, for one, I think you need to turn around and look at whose arms you happen to be in,' Asha said, this time not being able to hide the smile. Not that she was happy, oh no, this was the final nail in the coffin. Max and Logan could touch; she was completely out of any form of chance now.

'I don't want to face him,' Max rebutted, scrunching her face at the prospect.

'Just do it, Max,' Asha ordered.

'Fine, but you have to help me out afterwards.'

'I have a feeling that you won't want me to,' Asha responded with a smirk.

Max slowly rolled around in the arms that held her, eyes closed as he pulled her body closer to his.

'Oh god,' Max said, sounding incredibly grossed out.

'Open your eyes,' Asha said firmly, becoming annoyed, not to mention her head was starting to throb.

'Logan!' Max squealed right near hysteria. Asha groaned loudly, grasping her hands to her ears before fleeing the room. Logan awoke with a start, blinked several times before quickly glancing around the room.

He then noticed that his arms were full of something, something warm, soft and human.

'Morning Max,' he said cheerily, kissing her lightly on the nose.

'What? Are you insane? You want to die!' Max berated him, trying desperately to squirm away from his grasp.

'Max.' She continued squirming and ignored him, 'Max!' She finally stopped and looked at him hopelessly.

'Look, if I haven't died already, I'm sure as hell not going to drop dead now,' Logan said reassuringly.

'What happened, why aren't you dead, what about the virus?'

'Well, the virus is dead, obviously. And we are touching, obviously. So all is right in the world once more.' Logan announced, kissing her again on the nose.

'Logan, can you loosen up your grip a bit.' He did, and Max took the advantage to squirm out, and then push Logan onto his back before straddling him angrily.

'How dare you scare me like that? I thought you were going to die! I thought I'd ended up in bed with some random guy again. You don't tell me you have a cure, you just come and pounce on me like this-' She stopped abruptly when she noticed that Logan wasn't being intimidated by her fury at all. In fact he was just smiling bigger and bigger by the second. Logan caught her look of annoyance.

'Come on, how do you expect me to feel like I'm in trouble when you're sitting on top of me in your underwear. I'm sorry, but that is nothing but a treat.'

'I'm going to kick your ass…' Max drifted off; the realisation only now just hit her. She was sitting on Logan in her underwear, and he wasn't dying. They had a cure.

She fell down on his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissing him all over the face.

'I can't… believe it… a cure… after… all… this… time,' each word was punctuated by several little kisses. Logan's hands moved up and encircled her back.

'Yeah, finally. Everything makes sense again,' he said with a laugh, rolling them over so Max lay next to him once more. She hadn't stopped her assault on his face with thousands of kisses yet, and he was quite willing not to interrupt her.

Max slowed to a finish and rested her head on Logan's shoulder. 'No, the world still doesn't make sense. What about all the others I let out, and White?' Max asked sadly.

Logan pulled back a little to look at her with an expression of utter bewilderment. 'Others, White? Max, what and who are you are talking about?' Logan asked, clearly concerned.

'You know, Joshua the half-man half-dog. White, the member of the super-human crazy "no-pain-no-gain" breeding cult, intent on world domination and for some reason my own personal destruction.' Max said incredulously, unable to believe that Logan didn't know what she was talking about.

'Max, I don't know anything about that. You may be having some side effects from the psycho-actives they used on you at Manticore still.' Logan said reassuringly, stroking her arm gently.

'No, it can't be. I remember all of it so clearly. It has to be real.'

'Listen to what you're saying, Max. Half-man, half-dog, super-human breeding cult bent on world domination. Sounds a might far-fetched to me. Like some pathetic attempt at a Buffy-styled TV show, really. I bet you were wearing heaps of revealing clothing and seemed to always pause in striking, dramatic poses as well?' Logan responded lightly.

'Well, yeah. I always wondered why I was doing that, but still, that doesn't mean that nothing else happened.' Max retorted, sounding slightly scared.

'Max, you had a fairly serious run through the psy-ops section of Manticore when you were taken back there, and some elements of that torture are still drifting around in your head and causing confusion and hallucinations.' Logan said warmly, tightening his arms around Max to comfort her.

'Okay, if you say. Um… I need to go to the bathroom for a sec,' Max said, she still didn't believe him entirely, however. Logan loosened his grip and stood slowly with her. Max took a step and noticed that it was a little shaky.

'Are you alright, Max? I forgot to tell you that the cure I gave you sneakily last night would weaken you for a while. Only to the level of us mere mortals, so I didn't think it would matter much since I'm not letting you out of this apartment for at least a week now,' he said with a large grin, before bending to gather up his bedspread.

Very dazed and confused, Max made her way to the main bathroom, straight to the sink and splashed some water on her face.

Logan was in the process of straightening out his bedspread when he heard a scream come from the bathroom. He rushed in there to find Max holding her hair in her fingertips, joyous-amazement etched into her features.

'Logan! My hair, it's curly again!' she squeaked with delight. Logan shook his head slightly and let out a small laugh.

'You're hair has always been curly.' He moved over to her and took a few silken tendrils in his fingers. 'What do you remember it as?' he asked curiously.

'Straight, it was straight and long,' Max said disbelievingly at the miraculous changes she had endured in one night, apparently.

'Straight. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Sure you would be sexier and everything, but you wouldn't really be Max,' Logan said, his nose scrunching a little.

'So, I'm not sexy?' Max challenged, swirly around producing a terrific pout, whilst cocking a hip and placing her hand on it. This was far more than Logan could handle, especially since she was still wearing her immaculate jet-black underwear.

'Well, we all know that's a lie. I'm going to collapse soon.' Logan said wryly, quickly turning to leave to room before too much blood rushed to his head. He went back and flopped down on his bed again, waiting for Max to finish up before he knew what was going to be a very interesting few hours considering her current state of mentality. Just as he was moving into a nice doze another squeal of delight caught his attention.

'What is it this time?' he asked playfully, walking back into the bathroom.

'I've got some flesh on my bones again! See, feel.' Max said, excitedly grabbing Logan's hand and placing them around her waist, then dragging them up and down her stomach, back and towards her bottom.

'I see, Max. Yes, very nice,' Logan said awkwardly, pulling his hands from her grasp before quickly leaving the room. How much could a man take?

'Is there something wrong, Logan?' Max asked, her voice small and innocent, and completely sexy. Logan found out how much a man could take, and then snapped.

'That's it you're driving me insane,' he said boisterously, before turning around and picking her up, flinging her over his shoulder primitively.

'Oh, Tarzan!' Max swooned dramatically.

'Ugh, Jane quiet now,' Logan responded in a playful grunt.

Five quick strides later they were in Logan's bedroom. Logan stood at the foot of his bed, then bent forward a little, throwing Max off his shoulder to an extremely bouncy landing on the mattress in front of him. She fell in a small fit of giggles, her golden skin radiating in the dull light that flittered through the apartment, her face flushed from their playfulness. Her hair was splayed out perfectly around her head in a stunning halo of brown curls, and her eyes smouldered with desire. Logan had never seen anything as beautiful before in his life.

'Well, come on,' Max said playfully, but with a tinge of nervousness.

Logan eyes were dancing with a determined joy as he slowly knelt on the bed and began to lie down over Max. He supported himself on his elbows above her, smiling warmly as he kissed her gently. Max felt all her tension melt away, and found her hands travelling to enclose his form and bring it closer to her.

Much kissing and travelling of hands later found Logan struggling with the apparatus encasing the top half of Max.

'Stupid… strappy… supports…' he grumbled, struggling with the clasping mechanism. Max sat up above him, a playful smile on her face.

'Yeah, strappy supports suck.' Quickly and skilfully she had the device removed and thrown across the room. Logan ogled for several long minutes before the passion continued and increased significantly.

Another period of time past, and their breathing and flushed features were becoming more prominent. Max slid her self very smoothly and salaciously down Logan's body, until her hands came to rest on the top of his boxers. She looked up at him pointedly and watched as the gears turned in his mind.

Finally with a elated shout of glee and a snapping of fingers Logan said, 'Stupid silks.'

'Yeah, silks suck,' Max replied with a smile, sliding the garment from his body, leaving him completely bare to her passion.

A while later, they both knew and wanted with all there spirits for the time of consummation of their love to commence. This was the moment; a year and a half of nothing but sexual tension was finally about to be released in the most dramatic and explosive of fashions.

Max sat on Logan's stomach, her chest rising and falling sharply with her ragged breathing, her face flushed from their passion, her lips red and moist from kissing, her hair tangled and knotted from Logan's hands.

Logan lay under Max, lungs heaving for more air, face stuck in a grin, eyes shinning with delight, hands smooth from roaming over her body.

He slid his hands down her waist, until they came to rest on the final barrier between them and utter bliss.

'Stupid ss…. Stupid, sss…' his eyes flicked to hers in panic, and only saw panic in return.

And so it went on into the night, neither one of them able to come up with an appropriate title for Max's underpants.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


* * *

_Quite some time later..._

* * *

  
  


'I can't believe it, this flimsy piece of material is stopping us from having sex… wait a minute.'

'Stupid sex-stoppers!' Logan shouted triumphantly.

'Good enough for me!' Max responded, equally vocal.

The final barrier was removed and their fun began. Max never looked back on the mere hallucinations that seemed to be her crazy life for half a year, and Logan was glad to forget the virus had ever existed. Asha walked home in her underwear, having misplaced all of her clothing and any desire to spend time at Logan's place ever again.

  
  


  
  


**end**

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  



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